In a recent newspaper column by Drs. Oz and Roizen, a reader said:
“I was a fat kid, so I’ve worked hard (sometimes) to stay at a healthy weight as an adult.
Now I have a 4-year-old and he’s becoming overweight too. I don’t want him to go through the same struggle I did. How can I help him?”
Does this sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve had a similar concern as you watch your own children, grandchildren, or even other people’s kids who show signs of being overweight.
For most of us, when we see an overweight child, it stirs an emotional response and we desperately wish we could help them.
Normally, I trust Dr. Oz, but his response to this reader troubled me.
Over the next three days, I’ll present several of his recommendations along with my thoughts on each of them. Here is a summary of his first one:
1. Walk or exercise with your child for two hours a day.
Are you serious? Most parents struggle to do 30 minutes of their own exercise on a regular basis.
I can’t imagine most of them being able to routinely dedicate two hours a day to exercise with their child.
Here’s my advice: Move more
First of all, try to set an example by doing a good job with your own eating and exercise plan. If you are in a position to help an overweight child, encourage them to be as active as possible.
Take walks together, play active outdoor games, and park far away from places so you have to walk farther to the door.
Tomorrow- limiting screen time?